Door lock



g- 30, 1955 .1. H. ROETHEL 2,716,569

DOOR LOCK Original Filed April 19. 1950 IN VEN TOR.

Unite noon LOCK John H. Roetliel, Coral Gables, Fla, assignor to Roethel Engineering Corporation, Detroit, Mich a corporation of Michigan Original application April 13', 1950, Serial No. 156,804. Divided and this application March 12, 1954, Serial No. 415,831

9 Claims. (Cl. 292-280) latch member, a pivoted detent or dog cooperable therewith, and shiftable detent release means mounted on a supporting plate or the like at the jarnb edge of the door, the detent release means being operable from the outside of the door and being rendered inoperative to release or disengage the detent by means of a movable blocking 1 member mounted preferably on a flange extending angularly from the inner edge of the supporting plate, said blocking member being movable preferably by an inner manually operable means into and out of blocking relation to the release means. The detent is capable of motion independently of the outer manually operable means. In one embodiment of the invention, such independent movement of the detent may be utilized to move said blocking member from blocking to non-blocking relation to the outer manually operable release means under certain conditions. In another embodiment of the invention the blocking member not only blocks disengagement of the detent through actuation of the release means from the outside of the door but also renders the inside remote control means inoperative to release the detent.

Further characteristics of the latch mechanism in accordance with embodiments of the present invention herein illustrated by Way of example may be briefly summarized as follows: The rotatable latch bolt is mounted on the plate portion and has a series of tooth-like projections extending entirely around the periphery thereof. A detent engaging latch device is secured to the latch bolt and is mounted to turn or rotate about the same axis as the bolt and has a series of abutments corresponding to the tooth-like projections on the bolt. A detent means is pivotally mounted on the plate portion and has a plurality of arms, one of which is engageable with any one of the latch device abutments. The detent release means preferably, although not necessarily, comprises a lever also having a plurality of arms, the lever being pivotally mounted on the plate portion to swing about the pivotal axis of the detent means on a common pivot means and having a part disposed in opposing relation to a part of one of the detent arms so that movement of the release lever in one direction will cause corresponding movement of the detent. The part on the release lever and the part on the detent arm are not interlocked thus permitting pivotal actuation of the detent means independently of the release lever.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial Number 156,804, now abandoned, filed States Patent 0 Patented Aug. 30, 1955 April 19, 1950 which was a continuation in part of my.

application, Serial Number 51,719, filed September 29, 1948, now Patent Number 2,557,468 issued June 19, 1 951, and my application Serial Number 151,839, filed March 25, 1950.

Further details of the particular embodiments of the invention herein illustrated will appear in the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation taken substantially through lines 11 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows and illustrating a door lock constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a section taken substantially through lines 2-2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a View in part similar to Fig. l'illustrating a door lock constructed in accordance With a further embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view in part similar to Fig. 2 illustrating the flange mechanism of the embodiment of Fig. 3.

Before explaining in detail the present invention it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments, and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

In the drawings there is illustrated, by way of example, particular embodiments of the present invention as applied to the doors and frame structures of an automobile body. The lock mechanism of Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a case plate 50 provided with screw bosses 50a by means of which the case plate is secured to the inner side of the jamb portion of the door, the case plate terminating at its inner edge in a flange 51. A rotatable toothed latch or bolt 52 having a shank or shaft 53 is positioned at the outer face of the case plate 50 with the shaft 53 projecting therethrough, the shaft 53 forming the mounting for the rotatable ratchet member 54 which is riveted thereto.

The rotatable latch 52, as shown in dotted outline in Fig. l, is formed with a number of radially projecting tooth-like projections 520, preferably six, which are spaced equally around the periphery of the latch so as to provide in effect a gear type latch or bolt. The toothed ratchet member 54 is also formed around its periphery with a number of tooth-like abutments or projections 54a which correspond in number to the tooth-like projections 52a of the latch bolt.

Pivotally mounted on a shoulder rivet 55 secured to the 1 case plate 50 is a swinging detent, pawl, or dog 56 which has a downwardly extending detent arm 57 cooperable with the teeth or projections 54a of the ratchet member 54. The detent arm is engageable with any one of the teeth 54a to hold the ratchet member and, hence, the bolt 52 in locking position against rotation in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. l. The detent 56 has an upwardly extending arm or extension 58 terminating in a laterally extending lug or projection 58a. The detent is also provided with an inwardly extending arm 59 for a purpose hereinafter explained.

by any suitable manually operable means on the outside of the door such, for example, as a handle or by any other preferred means such as a push button associated with the outside door handle. The detent arm 57 is yieldingly urged toward the case plate flange 51 and the detent release lever 69 is urged outwardly toward its retracted position shown in Fig. l by means of a common spring 63. This spring has an upwardly extending arm engaging the detent arm 59 and has a lower spirally wound portion 63a secured at 64 to the case plate 50. the release lever overlies the detent 56 and has its inner edge abutting against the lug or projection 5311 on the detent. Hence, the effort exerted by the spring 63 in urging the detent arm 5'7 into engagement with the ratchet member 54, as shown in Fig. 1, will also be transmitted through the lug 58a to the release lever 66, thereby urging the latter toward its retracted position. The release lever 66, for a purpose hereinafter described, has a projection 65 extending inwardly from the arm 61 of the release lever toward the case plate flange 51.

The present embodiment preferably incorporates a remote control mechanism for permitting release or disengagement of the detent 56 by operation of an inside door handle or other manually operable means. The inside handle (not shown) is suitably connected to a longitudinally extending draft l'mk 26 which is pivoted at 27 to the lower end of one arm lea of a bell crank lever 28. This lever is pivoted at 66 to the case plate flange 51 and is provided with a projecting lever arm 28b overlying at its outer end the detent arm 59. Normally, when the inside door handle is turned so as to swing the lever 2812 downwardly, the latter by engagement with the detent arm 59 will swing the detent 56 in a clockwise direction viewed in Fig. 1, thus disengaging the detent arm 57 from the ratchet member 54. Similar action occurs when the release lever 69 is swung inwardly by operation of the outside door handle, push button or the like, motion of the release lever being transmitted to the detent through the lug 58a. A rubber bumper 67 is mounted on the case plate at 68 in a position to overlie the upper edge of the detent arm 59. The purpose of the rubber bumper 67 is to provide a resilient cushion against which the detent arm 59 will abut before the detent arm 57 fully returns into engagement with the ratchet teeth 54a after having been disengaged therefrom, thus materially reducing the noise of the engagement of the arm 57 with the ratchet 54%.

In the present embodiment means is provided for rendering the detent release lever 66 inoperative to disengage the detent 56, such as by blocking the same so that the door cannot be opened from the outside. This is accomplished through the medium of a plural arm or multi-arm lever 69 mounted on the case plate flange 51, this lever having an arm 79 positioned above the pivotal axis 66 and extending in a generally horizontal direction toward the case plate 50. The arm 70 lies above the arm 28b of the remote control bell crank lever 28 and has a portion 70a embossed outwardly from the case plate flange 51 which embossed portion 76a can be positioned so as to block inward movement of the release lever 69. The end of the arm 70 has a lug 70b turned toward the case plate flange 51 and engageable therewith. as shown in Fig. 1, to prevent bending of the embossed portion 7011 under pressure of the release lever 61' The lever 69 has a second arm 71 which extends upwardly from the pivotal axis 66 and which is bifurcated on its end to provide prongs 71a and 71b. The bifurcated end of the arm 71 is operatively engaged between the prongs 71a and 71b by an upstanding lug 72a on the end of a swinging crank arm 72. The crank arm 72 is pivot ally mounted at 73 to the case plate flange 51 and is provided with a substantially rectangular opening 74 at the locality of its pivot to receive the key actuated shaft 75 of any conventional lock having the usual key control. The present embodiment is constructed to accommodate a vehicle door of the type having a locking cylinder mech- It will be noted that anism mounted within the handle push button, therefore the flange 61a is suitably apertured as at 76 to permit the key actuated shaft 75 to pass freely through the flange normal position as shown in Fig. 2. The space between the two prongs 71a and 71b of the bifurcated end of the lever arm 71 is substantially greater than the thickness of the upstanding lug 72a on the crank arm 72, thus providing suflicient lost motion so that the key after having been used to shift the multi-armed lever in one direction or the other can be returned to a normal position in the key cylinder and extracted therefrom.

in the present embodiment the multi-armed lever 69 may be pivotally moved to place the arm 70 in blocking relation to the release lever 60 and thence returned to its normal position shown in Fig. 2 by means of a vertically shiftable rod or plunger 77. The lever 69 has a portion 78 projecting from the pivotal axis 66 in a direction opposite to the direction in which the arm 70 projects. The vertically shiftable rod or plunger is pivotally connected to this projection 78 at 76a and extends upwardly through the garnish molding at the inner side of the glass panel of the vehicle door. This rod 77 carries at its upper end a knob 79 which may be grasped at the inside of the door to shift the plunger vertically in either direction, thereby rocking the lever 69 about its pivotal axis 66 and shifting the arm 70 to position it in blocking relation to the release llgver 60 or to restore it to its normal position shown in The multi-armed lever 69 is yieldingly held and urged toward its upper and lower limits of movement by means of snap-over spring 80 of suitable strength attached at one end to the lever and at its opposite end to the case plate flange 51.

The multi-armed lever 69 is provided with another arm 81 which is spaced below the arm 70 and extends in a general direction of the case plate 50. The arm 81 is so positioned that its upper edge 81a will immediately under lie the detent arm 59 when the arm 70 of the lever 69 is in blocking relationship to the release lever 60, thus providing a means for automatically restoring the parts to their normal or unblocking position when the multi-armed lever 69 has been moved to the blocking position with the door in its open position and the door is then closed. As the door is moved to closed position the rotary latch bolt 52 will be rotated in a counterclockwise direction, as seen in Fig. 1, upon engagement with the keeper teeth of a keeper device fastened to the body pillar. Rotation of the rotary bolt 52 will cause a' corresponding rotation of the toothed member 54 causing the arm 57 of the detent to be raised. As the detent arm 57 swings upwardly the detent arm 59 will swing downwardly against the resistance of the spring 63. The detent arm 59 will engage and urge the multi-armed lever arm 81 downwardly thus pivotally swinging the lever 69 so that the arm 7t) will be moved out of blocking relation to the release lever 60. Simultaneously, the push button 79 on the garnish molding will be returned to its normal or unlocked position.

Suitable stops, generally in the form of lugs lanced outwardly from the case plate metal, are provided where deemed necessary. One such stop 82 is lanced outwardly from the case plate flange 50 in position to engage the outer edge of the release lever arm 61 thus limiting movement of the release lever arm toward its retracted position. A second lug 83 is lanced outwardly from the case plate flange 51 in a position to engage the lower edge of the multi-armed lever arm 81 thus determining the lower limit of movement of the multi-armed lever 69.

movement of the upper arm 71b of the lever 69 since the arm 81 will upon such upward movement engage the under edge of the detent arm 59 thus preventing any further upward movement.

The embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 3 and 4 illustrates a preferred construction for adapting the lock structure shown in the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2 for use on vehicle doors, usually the rear doors, not equipped with key actuated means for locking the door.-

In the embodiment of Figs. 3 and 4 a modified release lever 84 is substituted for the release lever 60 used in the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2. The release lever 84 is formed with an additional arm 85 which overlies the detent arm 59. The efiect of this additional arm 85 is to provide a means for blocking downward movement of the bell crank lever arm 28b when the release lever 84 is blocked against movement toward the case plate flange by the arm 70 on the blocking member, designated 86 in Fig. 4 since it is a modified construction of the blocking lever 69 shown in Fig. 2. Thus, when the release lever 84 is blocked against movement toward the flange 51,

the door cannot be opened either by actuation of the push button 62 from the outside of the door or by the actuation of the inside manually operable remote control means. Rendering the inside manually operable remote control means inoperative to release the detent 56 from the ratchet 54 provides a safety feature especially desirable when young children are carried as passengers in the rear portion of the vehicle. With the rear doors locked the children cannot inadvertently move the inside handle to unlatch the door while the vehicle is in motion, thus endangering their lives.

In the embodiment of Figs. 3 and 4, the lever 86 having the blocking arm 70 as a part thereof does not have as many arms as the plural arm lever 69 of the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2. No equivalent of the bifurcated arm 71 of the lever 69 is needed since the mechanism is not provided with the key operated crank 72 for shifting the blocking arm into and out of blocking position with respect to the release lever. The lever 86 does not have an arm corresponding to the arm 81 on the lever 69 since, in connection with rear door locks, it is desirable to be able to place the arm 70 in blocking position when the door is open and to retain the arm in such position after closing the door. This allows the vehicle operator to actuate the push button 79 to place the arm 70 into blocking relationship to the projection 65 on the release lever 84 while the door is in an open position as shown in dotted outlines in Fig. 3. Thereupon, the operator may close the door without disturbing the blocking position of the arm 70.

It will be understood, however, that no damage can result to the lock mechanism even though no kick-out means is provided for restoring the parts to normal or unlocked position in the event that the arm 70a is moved into blocking relation to the release lever 84 when the door is open. In this embodiment, as well as the previously described embodiment, the detent is always free to move independently of the release lever upon rotation of the rotary bolt as the bolt engages the keeper teeth upon closing movement of the door.

A limiting means is provided to limit thepivotal movement of the lever 86 under the urging of the snapover spring 80 after the lever 86 is initially moved through actuation of the garnish molding push button 79. As shown in Fig. 4 this limiting means may comprise a lug 87 turned toward the case plate flange 51, the lug projecting into a notch 88 of suitable width and length pierced out of the case plate flange 51.

I claim:

1. A door latch mechanism comprising a support formed with a plate portion for disposition at the door jamb and a flange portion extending angularly from said plate portion, a latch device pivotally mounted on said plate portion and having tooth-like abutments, a detent release member pivotally mounted on said plate portion, detent means having a pivotal mounting on said plate portion to provide for swinging movement of the detent means independently of said release member, bell crank means pivotally mounted on said support for swing ing said detent means, said detent means being engageable with any one of said abutments at one side of its pivotal axis for holding the latch device in door latching position and said release member having a portion at the opposite side of said pivotal axis engageable by outer manually operable means to swing the release member in one rotative direction, said release member having a part engageable with said detent means upon swinging motion of the release member in said rotative direction thereby to swing said detent means in the same rotative direction out of holding position with respect to said latch device, a blocking portion on said release member, lever' means pivotally mounted on said support and including an arm disposed in all positions thereof out of operating engagement by said detent means upon pivotal actuation of the latter, said lever means and said bell crank means being movable independently of each other about a common pivot axis, said arm having a blocking portion swingable toward and from said first named blocking portion, and inner manually operable means cooperable with said lever means for swingingsaid arm to dispose said second named blocking portion in opposing relation to said first named blocking portion thereby to block said release member and render the same ineffective to move said detent means out of holding position with respect to said latch device.

2. A door latch mechanism comprising a support formed with a plate portion for disposition at the door jamb and a flange portion extending angularly from said plate portion, a latch device pivotally mounted on said plate portion and having tooth-like abutments, a detent release member pivotally mounted on said plate portion, detent means having a pivotal mounting on said plate portion to provide for swinging movement of the detent means independently of said release member, bell crank means pivotally mounted on said support for swinging said detent means, said detent means being engageable with any one of said abutments at one side of its pivotal axis for holding the latch device in door latching position and said release member having a portion at the opposite side of said pivotal axis engageable by outer manually operable means to swing the release member in one rotative direction, said release member having a part engageable with said detent means upon swinging motion of the release member in said rotative direction thereby to swing said detent means in the same rotative direction out of holding position with respect to said latch device, a blocking portion on said release member, lever means pivotally mounted on said support and including an am having a blocking portion swingable upwardly and downwardly relative to said first named blocking portion, said lever means and said bell crank means being movable independentlyof each other about a common pivot axis, and inner manually operable means for swinging said arm upwardly to dispose its said blocking portion in opposing relation to said first named blocking portion thereby to block detent release movement of said release member. 3. A door latch mechanism comprising a support formed with a plate portion for disposition at the door jamb and a flange portion extending angularly from said plate portion, a latch device pivotally mounted on said plate portion and having tooth-like abutments, a detent release member pivotally mounted on said plate portion, detent means having a pivotal mounting on said plate portion to provide for swinging movement of the detent means independently of said release member, bell crank means pivotally mounted on said support for swinging said detent means, said detent means being engageable with any one of said abutments at one side ofits pivotal axis for holding the latch device in door latching position and said release member having a portion at the opposite side of said pivotal axis engageable by outer manually operable means to swing the release member in one rotative direction, said release member having a part engageable with said detent means upon swinging motion of the release member in said rotative direction thereby to swing said detent means in the same rotative direction out of holding position with respect to said latch device, a blocking portion on said release member, lever means pivotally mounted on said flange portion and including an arm disposed in all positions thereof out of operating engagement by said detent means upon pivotal actuation of the latter, said lever means and said bell crank means being movable independently of each other about a common pivot axis, said arm having a blocking portion swingable toward and from said first named blocking portion, and inner manually operable means cooperable with said blocking lever means for swinging said arm to dispose said second named blocking portion in opposing relation to said first named blocking portion thereby to block said release member and render the same ineifective to move said detent means out of holding position with respect to said latch device.

4. A door latch mechanism comprising a support formed with a plate portion for disposition at the door jamb and a flange portion extending angularly from said plate portion, a latch device pivotally mounted on said plate portion and having tooth-like abutments, a detent release member pivotally mounted on said plate portion, detent means having a pivotal mounting on said plate portion to provide for swinging movement of the detent means independently of said release member, bell crank means pivotally mounted on said support for swinging said detent means, said detent means being engageable with any of said abutments at one side of its pivotal axis for holding the latch device in door latching position and I said release member having a portion at the opposite side of said pivotal axis engageable by outer manually operable means to swing the release member in one rotative direction, said release member having a part engageable with said detent means upon swinging motion of the release member in said rotative direction thereby to swing said detent means in the same rotative direction out of holding position with respect to said latch device, a blocking portion on said release member, lever means pivotally mounted on said support and including an arm having a blocking portion swingable upwardly and downwardly relative to said first named blocking portion, said lever means and said bell crank means being movable independently of each other about a common pivot axis, and

inner manually operable means for swinging said arm upwardly to dispose its said blocking portion in opposing relation to said first named blocking portion thereby to block detent release movement of said release member, said lever means also including a member extending oeneath a part of said detent means and engageable thereby to swing said arm downwardly out of blocking position with respect to said blocking portion of the release lever.

5. A latch mechanism for a swinging door, comprising a support having a plate portion for disposition at the door jamb and having a flange portion extending angularly therefrom, a rotatable latch device mounted on said plate portion, a release lever pivotally mounted on said plate portion and having a blocking portion, outer manually operable means for swinging said lever, detent means engageable with said latch device for holding it in door latching position, said detent means having a pivotal mounting on said plate portion to provide for swinging movement thereof independently of said release lever, inner manually operable lever means on the support for pivotally actuating the detent means, said release lever having a part arranged in opposing relation to a part of said detent means to abut the same upon swinging movement of said release lever thereby to pivotally move said detent means out of holding position with respect to said latch device, a blocking lever pivotally mounted on said all) said blocking portion thereby to block said release lever and render the same inefiective to move said detent means P out of holding position with respect to said latch device.

6. A latch mechanism according to claim 5 wherein said blocking lever is provided with a second arm adapted to underlie a portion of said detent means upon said blocking means beingshifted into position-to be engaged by said blocking portion, said detent portion being adapted upon pivotal motion of the detent means to engage said second arm and shift said blocking means out of blocking position with respect to said blocking portion.

7. A latch mechanism for a swinging door, comprising a support having a plate portion for disposition at the door jarnb and having a flange extending angularly therefrom, a rotatable latch device mounted on said plate portion, a release lever pivotally mounted on said plate portion and having a blocking portion, outer manually operable means for swinging said lever, detent means engageable with said latch device for holding it in door latching position and having a pivotal mounting on said plate portion to provide for swinging movement thereof independently of said release lever, inner manually operable lever means on the support for pivotally actuating the detent means, said release lever having a part arranged in opposing relation to a part of said detent means to abut the same upon swinging movement of said release lever thereby to pivotally move said detent means out of holding position with respect to said latch device, a block ing lever pivotally mounted on said flange portion and having an arm provided with up and down movable blocking means for cooperation with said blocking portion, said blocking lever and said lever means being movable independently of each other about a common pivot axis, said blocking lever having a second arm, and vertically shiftable inner manually operable means connected to said second arm for pivotally moving said blocking lever to dispose said blocking means in position to be engaged by said blocking portion thereby to block said release lever and render the same inettective to move said detent means our of holding position with respect to said latch device.

8. A latch mechanism for a swinging door, comprising a support having a plate portion for disposition at the door jamb and having a flange portion extending angularly therefrom, a rotatable latch device mounted on said plate portion, a release lever pivotally mounted on said plate portion and adapted to be swung by outer manually operable means, said release lever having a blocking portion, detent means engageable with said latch device for holding it in door latching position, said detent means having a pivotal mounting on said plate portion to provide for swinging movement thereof independently of said release lever, inner manually operable lever means on the support for pivotally actuating the detent means, means controlled by said release lever upon swinging the same for pivotally moving said detent means out of holding posiion with respect to said latch device, a blocking lever ivotally mounted on said flange portion and having an arm provided with up and down movable blocking means for cooperation with said blocking portion, said blocking lever and said lever means being movable independently of each other about a common pivot axis, and inner manually operable means connected to said blocking lever for moving the same to dispose said blocking means in position to be engaged by said blocking portion thereby to block said release lever and render the same ineffective to move said detent means out of holding position with respect to said latch device. I

9. A latch mechanism according to claim 3 wherein said blocking lever is provided with a second arm adapted to underlie a portion of said detent means upon said blocking means being shifted into position to be engaged by said blocking portion, said detent portion being adapted upon pivotal motion of the detent means to engage said second arm and shift said blocking means out of blocking position with respect to said blocking portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Garrett July 28, 1925 Rolph et a1 Jan. 20, 1942 Wagner Feb. 12, 1946 Roethel June 19, 1951 

